Hand-guided and chain-driven bark-removing tool



May 5, 1953 L.. w. JOHNSON rs1-ALv 2,637,357

HAND-GUIDED AND CHAINQRIVEN BARK' REMovING TOOL Filed Aug. so, 1951 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 .LOUIS W JOHNSON WIL L IAM G. SAUNDE'RS IN V EN TORS BY ATTY May 5, 1953 L. W. JOHNSON ET AL HAND-GUIDED AND CHAIN-DRIVEN BARK REMOVING TOOL Filed Aug. 30, 1951 l! lm lllll 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 "LoULs wJoHNsoN Y WILLIAM G. SAUNDFRS A T T? Patented yMay 5, 1953 HAND-GUIDED 'AND CHAIN-DRIVEN BARI-REMOVING T0012,

`Louis W. .Johnson-and William :George Saunders, Eugene, i01teg,; said .Saunders .assigner .to 4sind 'Johnson Application Augustil), 1951,Se11ialrNos244r-36 .4 Claims 1 .This invention relates :to improvements in `log peelers adapted lor peeling Sharia from :redwood loes :or :any other :specie Iof loes provided with a thick loark. .sise-fore redwood logs :can be sawed economically at the inill .the bark must be ,T-.emoved, preferably in .the woods Heretoiore 4.the hart: peeling operation was accomplished by the use oiaxes wedges, ,crowoars fand ..otherprying toolsr and .alsorlblocks to hold they-peeled hackawagy from `the .log .as .the peeling operationprogressed. These operations have always heenrslow and tediousand reqniredmany hours .oi work .on each-log by :several .operators and ,their assistants.

4Accordingly, ,it one y.of the `principal objects of our-inventionto provide `a lightweight, durable and inexpensive power .driven .log vpeeling device which vmay .be conveniently .operated .by a single Qperatorto peel the bark-from alog in muchless time than that required ,by the conventional method aliove .pointed tout.

A further object of the invention is the `prvision of a device of this character whiclrmaylbe readily .ad anted to ,and .operated .by .various .types of .prime movers .used 'in theloggingfindustry jin the woods .such as ,electric motors drivenjoyportable electricgenerator sets drivenihygas .engines or Athe :device 'could 'loe operatively rconnected to a low powered gasoline engine, or 'to a source of steam or 'air pressure.

"A furtherobject is' topiovide ascii-guiding and lockable point `or leading end of the tool lwhich wiil automatically ail-just `ritself into conformity with the ccntonr'of the log being'dealtwith and also 'a handle which Amay be conveniently ar ranged and rlocked uina-ny desired Aangular :relation to'saidleadingend'of the tool.

still' further object fis the Vvprovi-sion=ofa`flog peeler of this type wherein its Lseveral parte are proteetedagainst'damage incineration but at the saine `time readily accessible `for Irepair, adjust-v ment'orreplacernent and also wherein the oper aber is protected `from the :moving `parts of vthe device regardless oi lwhere "the device AmayA lbe gripped r at any time during its 4normal.operation.

Afstll nfurther object is 'the :provision of Vmeans for .automatically preventing the 'accumulation of ,wooden chips loetweenithe teeth of .the ,traction elements. ofthe device.

These andother objects will appear vas our in vventon .is `more vfully.hereinafter `described .inthe following specicatiom illustrated in the accom.- panying A drawings .and `.inally pointed y out in the appended claims.

tlnlthe drawings:

Figure l .isa side-.elevation .of @a Ilogpeeler made (Cl. 16M-. 2039 2 in I.accordance with our invention .and shown .in the :process ogi removing :bark l,from a (log.

`Figline 2 is -alfl :enlarged .fragmentary .top plan viewfof Figure .l with Ia ,fragment .broken away for convenien ceci? illustration.

.Figure 3 ,is ,an V.enlarged :fragmentary side elenation Vof the invention .with Y.fragments broken away. an dpaltts ,in sectionorconvenience of illus.- tration.

`.Figure ..4 is valloottorn plan .viewof Figure '3 .with a fragmentbroken away.

IFigure-.5 `isa .nerSpeotive `detail view fifa .typical modiedformof ,linknsed ,with the tractor unit.

,Figure .5 .is a modi'ediorm .of .power vtransmis,- sionmeans.

.Reerrne now .more .particularly to Jthe drawlngs:

.In rliearelreferencenumeral l indicatestne main ibojdy of the 'invention in the form of van elonaatcdhandle .terminatingat one of its ends inanyapplovedtype cf'hand-gripZ. "I o this end of {the'handle we .secure'by means of `one of 'its handles `and a nut, an electricalmo'tor of-suitable horsepower and of `the type ordinarily `used for .power drills and thelike-afnd provided witha chucls'ii. The handle yLwhicl'iis'oi hollow tubular form, may be of square oroval formationin cross section. 'To oneisde -of the vhandlewe secure a housing' for a power transmission :means comprising Jthe Ausual reduction gears '(not lshown) driven .byga "shaft "l 'engaged with the motori llov means of the chuck-'Sand ywhich `drives a driven shait at agreatly reducedlspeed. The shalt 43 is journaledaslatf `in the yside wallsfoflthe tubular handle. 'To the -shaft 8 We secure l`a single or double'sprocliet wheel 40 vembraced by one-end of a sproclretfchain 'il l'whoseoppositeendemiraces anddrives a-driven sprocket wheel i2 secured to a shait I3 Ejournaled as at Yit nearoneend of parallel frame members l5 foi fa headgenerally indicated-at it. .Thissaid oneaendaof-thefiame members are formednn a radius las best 'illustrate dyinfrieure .'andiprovided-With;eearpteetn ,l l adaptedftozherengaged.byxpawls im interconnected byia :har el EAsozthattheyamayrbezmovedias a unit into :fan-.d l.out for engagement with the teeth .i i. The pawls raresnormally Kheldin enga-gement with said teeth by means of compression springs fill whoseiorward eIidsbear vagainst tthe pawl and whose.opposite.endsbeareaeainst.adjusting-screws 2,9 locliablefby meansof vlocknutsi to internally threaded .projections I2:2 vformed#integral :with `or otherwise secured :to .theihandlel ,A control cable 23 ,-slidahlymounted vwithin the handle i -is -se- (Fig. 4) for pulling the pawls out of engagement with said gear teeth I'I when it is desired to change the angular relation of the handle to the head It. The opposite end of this control cable terminates in an actuating knob 24 whose stem 25 is movable lengthwise within a slot 2S formed in the handle for actuating said pawls. The handle I is pivotally attached as at 2SA to the frame members I5 of the head I5 by means of a shaft 21 extending through and secured to said frame members.

The head I6 is made up of the frame members I5, as aforesaid, cast integral with cross members 28, 29 and 3i] and with a slip-plate 3i which is of greater width than the distance across the frame members. Cast integral with or secured to the sides of the frame members I5 and in spaced relation thereto are two vertical plates 32 which serve as rails for traction chains generally indicated at Bt. The traction chains slidably embrace the rails and are driven by the sprocket wheels I2', i2 on the ends of shaft I3, which carries sprocket wheel I2 which is driven by the m0- tor 4 through the medium of the sprocket chain or chains II as aforesaid. Each chain is made up of a plurality of pivotally interconnected links either of the form shown in Figure 3 or that shown in Figure 5. Each link in the form of traction chain shown in Figure 3 comprises two parallel side plates 34 formed with projections 35 pointed at one of their ends and adapted to engage with a log beneath the bark and to force the head forwardly as the peeling operation progresses. When this type of link is used in the traction chain we provide means in the form of a tooth or downwardly extending blade 36 arranged centrally of the projections of the links so that any chips or wood particles lodged between the plates of the links will be dislodged therefrom.

When the modified form of link, as shown in Figure 5, is used we dispense with the cleaning blades 35 for the reason that the extensions 34A are interconnected across their leading ends by a web 37 which, of course, will prevent the entrance of wood or chip particles into the space between said extensions.

To the forward end of the head IS we provide a self-adjusting wedge-shaped tip 38 pivotally attaohed to the side members I5 of the frame by means of .a shaft 39 journaled within the frame as at 4Q. The rear surface of the tip is formed with gear teeth or serrations 4I adapted to be selectively engaged by a pawl 42 slidably mounted within aligned openings 43 and 44 in the cross members 28 and 29, respectively, of the frame. The pawl is normally forced forward into engagement with the teeth 4I by a compression spring` 45 whose one end bears against the rear surface of the pawl and whose opposite end bears against an adjusting screw 46 carried by an arm 41 and lockable thereto by a lock nut 4B. The opposite end of the arm is secured to the housing 49 of a control wire 5I) whose one end is attached as at 5I to the pawl and whose opposite end is attached to an actuating knob 52 (see Fig. 2) Whose stem 53 is slidable in a slot formed in the side wall of the handle I.

In the modified form of driving mechanism illustrated in Figure 6 we provide the traction chain driving shaft ISA with a worm gear 54 operatively engaged and driven by a worm 55 secured to or formed on one end of a drive shaft 56 whose opposite end is connected by any approved means to the shaft 8 of the power trans-y 4 mission means and driven thereby at a predetermined rate of speed.

Although we have shown and described the source of power as an electric motor it is to be understood, of course, that any other suitable source of power could be employed, such for instance, as a small gasoline engine of the type used in portable chain saws; a small steam or air motor, or the power transmission means 6 could be connected by a iiexible drive shaft to a remotely disposed stationary engine or other suitable power take-off.

Modus operandi-In order to use the device on a log to be peeled the bark of the log is rst split with an ax or other suitable tool in the direction of its length suiiiciently to admit the insertion of the tip 33, which is temporarily held in a ilxed position by the pawl 42, between the bark and the wood portion of the log. Upon complete insertion of the tip and a portion of the slip plate the tip is released by retracting the pawl 42 so that the tip will be free to follow the contour of the wood and any irregularities therein and to prevent digging into the wood or into the bark. Following this the motor 4 is put into operation which through the medium of the power transmission means 5, the driving and driven sprockets and the sprocket chain will drive the traction chains 33 in the direction of the arrow applied in Figure 3. This movement of the traction chains and the engagement of their links 33 with the cambium layer of the log beneath the bark will force the head I6 forwardly around the log while the tip and the slip plate are prying the bark away from the wood portion of the log. If at any time it becomes necessary or desirable to increase the prying action the operator may or may not stop the action of the traction chain and swing the handle outwardly from the log whereupon the head I6 will become the fulcrum for the applied leverage.

We claim:

l. A log peeling tool comprising in combination an elongated handle, power transmission means attached to one end of the handle, a substantially wedge-shaped head adjustably attached to the opposite end of the handle and lockable in Various angular positions in relation to said handle, traction means carried by the head and interconnected with said power transmission means for driving the head between the bark and the wood of a log being peeled.

2. A log peeling tool as in claim l including a tip swingably and lockably attached to the forward end of said head so as to follow the contour of the wood and any irregularities therein as the peeling operation progresses.

3. A log peeling tool comprising in combination an elongated hollow tubular handle, power transmission means attached to one end of the handle, a head swingably attached to the opposite end of the handle, means carried by the handle and engagable with the head for locking the handle in any adjusted angular relation t0 the head, said head comprising a frame, and a top wall in the form of a slip plate curved forwardly and downwardly at its forward end, a tip swingably and lockably attached to the forward end of said head, traction means carried by said head and comprising a plurality of endless traction chains, said chains being operatively connected with said power transmission means by means extending through said handle, each of said chains being made up of a plurality of pivotally interconnected links having parallel teeth arranged on both of their sides for engagement with the wood beneath the bark of a log being peeled, and for driving said head forwardly during a peeling operation, and means formed within the head and disposed between said parallel teeth for dislodging wood chips and the like from between said teeth.

4. A log peeling tool comprising in combina tion an elongated hollow tubular handle, power transmission means attached to one end of the handle, driving means disposed on the interior oi' the handle and connected with said power transmission means, a head, means formed on one end of the head for pivotal attachment to the opposite end of said handle and for locking said head in angular relation to said handle, said head comprising a frame consisting of parallel side members and spaced apart interconnecting cross members all formed integral with a slip plate extending throughout the length of the head and being curved forwardly and downwardly at the forward end of the head, endless traction chains rotatably mounted to both sides of said frame, means disposed within the frame and connected tc said chains for operating the same and operatively connected to said driving means within the handle, a forwardly tapering tip pivotally attached to the forward end of said head as a continuation of said forwardly downwardly curved portion of the head, spring-urged means movable within the head and controllable from said rst mentioned end of the handle for selective engagement with said tip for locking the tip in various angular positions with respect to said head, each of said chains consisting of a plurality of pivotally interconnected links each formed with parallel side plates having pointed extensions formed thereon, means carried by the head and disposed between the extensions of the plates of the links and adapted to dislodge wood chips or particles accumulating between said plates.

LOUIS W. JOHNSON.

WILLIAM GEORGE SAUNDERS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,558,735 McArthur Oct. 27, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 541,950 Germany Jan. 16, 1932 

